RURAL EDUCATION.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2156, 12 August 1907, Page 4

RURAL EDUCATION.

ITS IMPORTANCE AND POSSIBILITIES. VIEWS OF MINISTERS AND EXPERTS.

Agricultural education in its var-

ious phases, its shortcomings, aims and opportunities, kept the Agricultural Conference, which sat in Wellington recently, busy for about two hours and a half. In addition to the delegates the Hons. G. Fowlds

and R. McNab and others wer e pre sent.

The first remit on the subject came :rom Auckland, and was as follows: —“That in the opinion of this con-

erenco, the interests of agriculture

in New Zealand would be greatly promoted by the establishment of technical schools in' certain convenient centres, making agricultural subjects a prominent feature of their curriculum, so as to offer a practical course of study designed to prepare boys and girls for successful country life; which schools would also serve as a stepping stono from th o public school to the Agricultural College.” It was in-

troduced by the chairman, Mr. J G. Wilson.

Mr. George George, Director of Technical Education, Auckland, addressed tlie gathering, and after urging the pre-eminent importance of agriculture to this country stated

that a start must bo made with the primary school. Good teaching was essential, and the scholar should be taught to use his own mind and powers of observation. The first thing was to train the teachers. The pupil teacher system was bad; the result was that men entered the profession without any proper preparation, and gained their experience at the expense of the children. The

abolition of that system was largely a financial question, but in spite of the cost tho education of the pcoplo was tho finest national asset. And ho could not think that tho limit of expenditure had been reached when tliroo millions were spent in drink. They! ought to. make it worth whilo for tlio host men and women to enter tho profession. Mr. George omphasisod tho value of naturo study, or olomontary agricultural work, and pointed out tho noccssity for tho'-'in-spectors to co-oporato in tho schemo: Manual training should also ho given in tho primary school, and country, schools should bo made ns attraotivo to tho * teachers ns woro tlio town schools. Tho difficulty could bo met in somo cases by, the 1 consolidation of small schools, which has been successfully tried in Amorica and Canada. There also ought to bo some local form of rating, to obviate'the leakage that occurred through continual application having to bo made to the Education Department. Air. Geoi.go advised the establishment of practical training colleges in agricultural work, to follow tho primary schools, and conducted in conjunction with tho experimental farms. Then would oomo tho agricultural college, which would bo for thoso who intended to become lenders in the agricultuiul world. Tho school garden, aB carried on in many instances, was a farce. It ought to bo made an ad-

junct to the teaching inside, and not used just to see how much produce could bo obtained from a given area in a set time. Tlio nature of tlie plant life should be studied by the scholars. Speaking generally, it was a matter for consideration whether it was wise to bolster up industries

in the cities at tho expense of tlio country; as in the matter of economic policy they should foster and encourage tho men on tho land. Mr. Gray, Director'of the Wellington Training College, spoke a word in defence of the school garden, then went on to make <( a few practical suggestions.” He did not advise a policy of rest, but he thought they should work out the schemes already in hand. A great deal of experimenting had been done, and they should now carry it out to ascertain its value. “A roal live farm” close to AVelliugton to which scholars could be taken at intervals, would be of great benefit. As a whole, the consolidation system was impossible at present, but tlie solution was to be found in local taxation. He suggested a system of contral schools in certain districts, with sido schools attached, tho scholars being brought in to the main school at intervals.

Tho district high school could be made, to serve all practical purposes, without additional colleges, until public opinion was fully matured. Additional scholarships in country districts would servo a good purpose. Mr. J. A. Gilruth, speaking of his

experiences abroad, placed France iin the forefront, of agricultural education. Its Agricultural Department had, it was estimated,' quadrupled the output of the country’s farms during the past thirty years; its expenditure was about one and a half millions sterling, and it well repaid itself. The system of education was pyramidal, with its apex in Paris. They left nothing to haphazard, and the dominant aim of the system was to imbue the child, with a love for the country, and a desire to remain in it. Children of laborers and very small farmers were sent to farm schools, and wore taught practical agriculture and ordinary education. They were real'y apprentices, and were paid the ordinary rate of wages for boys in the district, and on leaving at the end ol two or three years were given • a bonus. Then there was the practical school of agriculture, a step beyond the farm school, and below the nut ional farm school, where the lech nical training was imparted. In all the normal schools agriculture was taught, and there were 140 professors of agriculture, who gave lect i-es and demonstrations in the different districts. The Hon. G. Fowlds stated that the Department of Education wa6 in full sympathy with the proposals to extend the benefits of rural education. Something had been done in that direction. In 1905, for instance there were 102 special classes in the colony scattered over ten educational districts; in 1906 the number increased to 253, in eleven districts; and this year, so far, there were 304 classes in operation spread over all the educational districts of the colony. In 1905 the expenditure for these special classes was £660; in 1906 it was £I4OB, and this year there would be a corresponding advance. In 1906 the Government paid £390 by way of subsidy, on voluntary contributions, for the promotion of these classes, Wellington district claiming £195 of- that amount. - -He realised ,to the, full the desirability' of extending rural education, but touched on the difficulty of meeting all the increases in the various directions' and yet keeping the total expenditure within reasonable limits. Mr. Fowlds also referred to the tour abroad taken by the Inspector-General, in tho interests of his department, and prophesied the good results that 1 would follow the application of Mr. Hogben’s experiences. In reply to the chairman, the Min-

ister said it 'ivas not advisable; to arrange a conference of instructors in Mr. Hogben’s absence, but on the In-spector-General's return, lio would endeavour to bring this about. Mr. G.illcnnid, instructor at Christchurch, outlined what was being done in that district. The Hon. R. McNab said the most difficult matter to overcome was tho prejudice'of the life-long fanner. Tho best results .would never bo obtained until the man who tilled the ground was one who had received practical teaching,in liis,.younger days.' There was something for the taxpayer to face in the enormous expenditure of money that had to follow, blit they must judge by the results, j AVlien a country like France was confronted with such problems, they could imagine what was befofo a country so young as this. As to life 1 in the country ho deprecated the idea of looking upon it ns a place for toil, and the city for pleasure, and urged that there was no reason why the farm life should not be made attractive. Such education as had been mentioned would equip them 'with a close scientific knowledge that would lend additional interest to their work

and help them to take pleasure in it. In the course of discussion, the chairman:',said; the prejudice of the

farmer could be overcome by offering him “something for nothing.” Good work had been done by the establishment of State experimental ■ farms, but tho difficulty of access was considerable, and he suggested that free railway trips to those places might bo allowed to farmers, for a time 'at any rate. He also suggested that certain instructors should be sent to Europe to acquire extended j experience, as was being done by Mr. Hogben. He favoured local rates for educational purposes, but there was not a ghost.of a chance of bringing about that change. The scholarship system ought to be largely extended by the country people,! particularly through the County Councils.

Mr. W. C. Davies, Agricultural Insturctorj Wellington, briefly addressed the gathering. Dr. Anderson, Assistant-Inspcctor-Gcneral, said the department, was in entire sympathy with the efforts to promote agricultural education. The start that had been made would have far-reaching and fruitful!results. The District High School was essentially a rural school, and its work should he rural education. He knew that what could be done within reas-

onnblo.boundsiwoultl be (lone 1 to bring the full scope of tho schools into play; as far as agriculture was coiieeriScd' Concentration of schools had received much .consideration. by the department, but tlio difficulties tvcro c more prominent than the advantages, admirable though'tlie*conception! was.